Hochman: Tarasenko makes all the difference | Benjamin Hochman

While the match was stuck at 1-1 and he remained 4:22 at the end of the match, Tarasenko pushed his game higher, an impossible gear, bulldozing towards the goal. He did not score, and he flew right into the boards behind the goal with a detonation, but even at the highest corners of Enterprise Center, whether in the press or near the HULL 16 banner, you could feel. Vladi was awake. Big players can change big games.

And then, during his next shift, Tarasenko started again. He attacked as a basketball leader or a football side. To the point. His former teammate, Roman Polak, made him stumble. Suddenly, they found themselves face to face, speaking in the international language of the expletive. Polak was sent to the penalty bench in which he used to reside, at the time this place was Scottrade, and the Blues made a numerical advantage.

Of course, Tarasenko would score on the power play.

The goal of the star against the Stars gave St. Louis advance with 1:57 to go in the second. Really, it gave them the first game. And that started with the first attack, with an instant shot to death.

"Yes, the first is difficult," said Dallas goalkeeper Ben Bishop of St. Louis, following the Stars' 3-2 loss to the Enterprise Center on Thursday. "He probably has the best shot of the game. It's fast."

Dallas, if you did not know it, is difficult. The boys in green had not allowed a power play goal in the playoffs. So for St. Louis, getting one out there has turned things upside down in many ways.

"Absolutely, it was a massive job to give us some confidence," said Ryan O'Reilly, Blues center. "Our first power play was not great and we had to react to get back into the game, shooting the puck, generating momentum."

There was no doubt that Tarasenko could not compete in another series without a goal in five against five, which was against Winnipeg. The Jets very well neutralized the 91st. Not on the powerplay, but five to five. Even if Tarasenko remained unballed for the remainder of the first part, the way he had upset the situation in 143 seconds would have been enough. He would have at least had a star of the match. Well, then came the attack on Bishop that led to his best star.

"He's so strong on his feet that when he steps on you, it's hard to stop him," said Blues teammate Vince Dunn. "He's really a guy with whom you want to get the puck, because when he's open, he has a very lethal shot, and when he's successful, there's usually a rebound or the bottom of the goal. We need him to keep playing this way.

"He was great in all the series, very strong on the puck, taking advantage of the shot as soon as he could. When these guys integrate, it's really good for our team. Everyone was really engaged tonight. Vladi scored both goals, but the physical and offensive participation of all really made the difference. "

It was the third period, St. Louis still up 2-1, when Tarasenko again activated that higher level. You have probably already seen the climax. Otherwise, it will probably be on a screen surrounded by a frame at the St. Louis Art Museum by Friday. This thing was beautiful.

"He made a good shot there (on the second goal)," said Bishop. "I just missed the verification test. I would have liked to have that one back. I just missed it and obviously he put it in the net. He is a dangerous player and a good player and you can see why. "

With the puck on his stick on the outside, pulling on the right wing, No. 91 fired him on his body, in front of a humble defender, through the crease of the goal and l? struck at the top of the net. Glorious. Play Gloria.

"It's amazing how he can do anything with nothing," O'Reilly said. "I just tried to throw the puck, and he plays, gets, pushes wide and scores an incredible goal. It's just him, he's one of the few people in the game who can activate it and make these incredible games. … Yeah, it was a huge game, (mostly) with their pressure, then Vladi s' imposed and created a huge game to place us in a good place where we could relax and come back to our game .

"The way he can change gears, and he can read the D so well: he catches them unbalanced or half-way, finds a way to position himself. He is such a threat because of his shot – he can release him at any time. Then a D tries to be squeezed against him, he sucks them, then he beats them widely. It's impressive. "

Tarasenko now has seven career goals in the playoffs. This places Bernie Federko in second place in the team's history, behind Brett Hull's 13th.

But by simply attacking the net with his vertiginous speed and his fearlessness, Vladi won a match against St. Louis.